But this year is special. Opens summer musical season, what are the prospects of festival life 2020 and how to do so, so we were not afraid to listen to music all together? About it wanted to talk to the producers and organizers of the prestigious international open-air around the world. “RG found out the opinions of influential people in the festival industry, were often diametrically opposed.
Michael Shurygin, President of NCA group of companies, producer of the festival “Rock over Volga” (Russia, cancelled):
– What about festivals this summer, too early to speak, because no one knows how long restrictions. If you stick to the optimistic scenario, the industry will need about two years to return to normal.
However, there is no guarantee that the world after the epidemic will continue, although we hope that the desire of the public for mass outdoor activities will not change. Of course, the best help for early recovery would be a financial support for the cultural sector, how this is implemented for example in Germany. After all, only a comprehensive government support will help to survive our industry.
Well, in order to minimize financial and reputational loss of our show-business it is first necessary to save the scheduled event. Fortunately, the artists, and our partners are coming to meet us and ready to discuss new terms with the current situation. In turn, the audience is also mostly got into position and prepared to wait. Common misfortune brought us together, but our shared responsibility in such circumstances is also increased! In the meantime, we have been successfully doing online concerts that are interesting to millions of viewers from around the world.
That’s a completely different approach to the implementation of the project and a rewarding experience. The most important quality that we see in the online concerts are an opportunity to improve the technologies (visual, audio, and other). Because the products that was displayed when the first online concerts, and what happens now is seriously different. And this is a definite plus. And that’s what we learned from the pandemic, confirming the known truth that in no event it is impossible to stand still. On the contrary – you need to develop and always be ready for something new and unexpected.
Martin Elmer, Booker Glastonbury festival, UK (cancelled):
– Now our government every three weeks to announce the extension of the quarantine. I think this will be a long time and none of the festivals will not take place until the end of August. Until we have a complete lack of clarity.
For many of the organizers of the festival it is important to get a ban from the government, because in this case they can require insurance payments or at least be able to do something planirovatb. We, by the way, no one gets the tickets, because they are initially very difficult to buy. So we will wait. But my prediction is:”major events won’t be back until the end of the year.
Sergey Melnikov, producer of the festival Park Life (Russia, cancelled):
– in January, I felt that something was wrong and that it will cause a big impact on business. By a happy coincidence we managed to hold the concert of Bring Me the horizon and Limp Bizkit (in February and March – approx. “RG”). Then I realized that holding Life Park in mid-July is unlikely.
But I take this philosophically. Because the festival is a large, complex and exhausting daily work. Once the situation is such that we are given some rest and it will not last a few years, I’ll take everything as it is.
Paul Plum, Booker of the festival, Colours of Ostrava (Slovakia, canceled):
– the Impact is huge and this is a big problem. But we have a very strong team, very strong Director, and people are doing everything possible in this situation. We work very hard to break. Financial losses due to the transfer of our festival over a million euros. Yes, we seriously considered the transfer of the festival for September, but contact the artists, I realized that to repeat the line-up we fail.
What are we doing in such an unhappy situation? We urge viewers not to take the tickets and leave them for the next year. Because it would really help us (it will be Possible to use these sums for the payment of the participants of the next festival in 2021 – Approx. Ed.).
Maria semushkina, the President of the festival “Usadba Jazz” (Russia, cancelled and postponed for 2021):
What steps need to be taken to the situation has returned to that which was in 2019, to minimize financial and reputational loss, and return the audience? Of course, we need support of the state. After all, the financial loss is enormous. This applies not only to the entertainment industry, but also hospitality restaurant, travel, services… Our losses are measured in the tens of millions of rubles. And build hope that next year it will be easy to compensate for, funny. No. By far the necessary grants from the state or the support of patrons, investors or large companies. Perhaps, the current time, prompting some of them to even think about a new charity?
“Usadba Jazz” festival with a 17-year history, a long list of musicians, open to us, a special atmosphere. And yet – with an impeccable reputation. So I believe that we will be able to find a new partner and to reach a new level.
Russia has not yet cancelled only three large-scale and multi-day rock festival “Invasion” (originally scheduled for July), “black earth” and “Pilot fest” in Jaro��levskoy region (both continue to maintain plans for August). The organizers continue to hope that by that time – that is, after two months the pandemic will end. And the “Invasion” even announced the optimistic motto: “Those who survived the “Invasion” will survive and the virus.” And on “Pilot Fest” officially I declare, that if open-air still have to cancel – the money for the tickets will definitely return.
